Freethought Radio, Podcast Will Continue

January 22, 2010

Freethought Radio mourns the demise of Air America Radio network, but its broadcast in Madison, Wis., will continue, along with its podcast.

"We are so sorry and sad to say goodbye to Air America, and have enjoyed so much our association with the network, and its feisty response to religious-right hate radio," said Annie Laurie Gaylor.

Freethought Radio is a production of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, whose co-presidents, Gaylor and Dan Barker, host the weekly program.

"We have been told Freethought Radio's program will air this weekend on the various Air America affiliates that had picked it up," said Barker. It also will presumably stream over airamerica.com for the last time this weekend from 1-2 p.m. Eastern on Saturday and 3-4 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Foundation's weekly radio program will continue to broadcast over Progressive Talk The Mic 92.1 in Madison, Wis., at 11 a.m. Central Saturdays. The show also streams from The Mic 92.1 website at that time.

"It's been a remarkable association with Air America," said Gaylor, who noted that various Air America talent over the years had recorded commercials to play over Air America for the Foundation. Ads were recorded by Air America hosts (or former hosts) Rachel Maddow, Laura Flanders, Janeane Garafalo, Mike Malloy and Ron Reagan, with the latter three identifying themselves as nonbelievers in those ads. (Click each name to listen to their radio ad.)

The Foundation began producing Freethought Radio in the spring of 2006 on Madison's local Air America affiliate, then became part of Air America's weekend national offerings in the fall of 2008. It was airing on about 25 stations around the country.

"We're considering our options for continuing broadcast syndication," Gaylor added. "FFRF's goal has always been to reach the masses through broadcast media, so that religion is not allowed to dominate the public airwaves 24/7. We love podcasting, but we don't just want to 'preach to the unconverted,' so to speak. We want to reach the general public as well, who need to know there is an alternative to religion."

Saturday's program features interviews with Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation over "Jesus rifles" and with freethinking novelist and MacArthur Fellow Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, whose new book, Thirty-Six Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction, was just released (and was reviewed yesterday in The New York Times). Goldstein is married to evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker, who serves on the Foundation's new honorary board.

For more information on tuning in this weekend, listening to previous shows, or future listening options, visit the Foundation's radio page:

The Foundation will keep members and Freethought Radio listeners updated on any developments.

"Keep tuning in for more rational radio and blasphemous broadcasting," invite Barker and Gaylor.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Madison, Wis., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational charity, is the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics), and has been working since 1978 to keep religion and government separate.